Tales from the Cove
by Mistress Antithesis
Summary: Submit your OC! The beautiful Nereids, a nymph-like race, live in an underwater domain, where teenage boys and girls attend prestigious Cor Academy. Ch. 4: A storm is coming. SYOC closed for now!
1. Chapter 1

_**Nereid 101: The Fairy-Fish**_

Nereids are, in the world of Magix, a race of water-dwelling humanoids who excel in magic and combat. Nereids look and act similar to other humanoid races such as fairies and witches; however, the race's unique trait is their ability to transform their legs into a long tail suitable for swimming. Thus, most Nereids live around and under water, since that is where they best survive.

Nereids' abilities vary primarily with gender. Females, who tend to be smaller and more slender than their male counterparts, control powerful magic, and are known far and wide for their beauty. Males, who tend to be taller and more muscled, are known for their skill in battle, being agile, graceful, and deadly.

The nereid culture, while similar to that of the fairies', also has a few fundamental differences:

_Family:_

Nereid families are often very large – with one married couple having upwards of twenty children, for example – and older children are as much mentors as parents are. Family history and prestige is also very important, and sometimes influences greatly how a young nereid is viewed by his or her peers and mentors.

_Gender:_

In status, males and females within the colony are considered equal. The society is not patriarchal; however, it may sometimes lean toward being matriarchal, since, due to females' great magical power, they also tend to have a greater role in the society.

_Marriage:_

Marriage can be arranged and fairly often is, because the parents of the two parties must approve – this is the law. When a marriage is arranged, it is often to combine the two involved families. Otherwise, marriages can also happen naturally, as when two nereids fall in love and their parents give them their blessings to be married.

_Schooling and Studies:_

**Cor Academy**: For adolescent boys and girls aged 13-19, Cor Academy teaches students a curriculum ruled by undersea life, training, and magical knowledge. While attending, students also live in the dorms with other students. Many classes are open to boys and girls, while a few are gender-specific. Students attend for six years, after which they go on to one of the two colleges.

**Anima Academy**: For young adult women aged 20-24, Anima Academy trains female nereids to use many magical skills, especially combat skills, as well as intensive magic studies.

**Virtus Academy**: For young adult men aged 20-24, Virtus Academy trains male nereids for physical combat, and training studies.

_Further Nereid Studies: War for Sympharia Forest_

For the last fifty years, nereids and their neighbors – centaurs, harpies, giants, and others – have waged war on each other for the territory in and around the Cove. This land is known as Sympharia forest. This war makes travel unsafe for nereids in any territory not within about a two-to-three mile radius around the edges of the Cove.

* * *

_Welcome to Cor Academy!_

Our staff and students welcome you here at our beautiful Cor Academy. During your six-year stay here, you will learn about your environment, abilities, and history as a nereid and magical citizen. You are encouraged to make friends while here, and will be assigned two roommates with whom you will share a dorm, and will attend specialized classes among your peers. Classes are as follows:

_Textual Reading_

_Writing_

_Nereid History_

_Magical Realm Histories_

_Mathematic Functions_

_Animal/Creature Care_

_Magic Defense_

_Magical Devices_

_Nereid Law_

_Mythology_

_**Female Only:**_

_Basic Magic_

_Intermediate Magic_

_Advanced Magic_

_**Male Only:**_

_Basic Combat Training_

_Intermediate Combat_

_Advanced Combat_

Before acceptance, students must submit the following form, which is to be filled out accordingly.

(Note: Not all areas have to be filled out. More areas means a more fleshed out character – probably – and thus a character more likely to be used repeatedly. Don't force yourself to come up with any areas you are drawing a blank on.)

Full name: (first, middle, last; pronunciation if necessary)

Title(s): (if applicable)

Nickname(s):

Gender:

Age:

Desired role for story: (main/supporting/love interest/etc)

**Physical/Appearance**

Body type/build/figure:

Eye color:

Hair color/texture/style/length:

Skin color/texture/complexion:

Description of facial features:

Fins/tail description: (texture, colors, patterns, etc)

Height:

Weight:

Health issues: (if applicable; disabilities/diseases/ailments)

Voice quality:

Speech quirks:

Clothing style:

Tattoos/scars/piercings/birthmarks:

Other:

**Personality**

Personality overview: (please be detailed)

Prominent personality traits:

Weaknesses of character:

Strengths of character:

Aspirations:

Hobbies:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Skills:

Interests:

Good habits:

Bad habits:

Fears:

Alignment: (good, evil, neutral, etc)

Sexuality:

Quirks:

Dietary patterns:

Significant/special belongings:

Personal quote: (can also be snippet of dialogue)

**History**

General history:

Childhood:

Adolescence thus far:

Birth date:

Birth place:

**Relationships**

Parents: (can be other OCs if applicable)

Siblings: (can be other OCs)

Other relatives: (can be other OCs)

Past loves: (can be other OCs)

Friends: (can be other OCs)

Enemies: (can be other OCs)

Social group: (i.e. clique)

Crushes?: (can be another OC)

Relationship/marital status: (single/dating/betrothed/married/etc)

**World**

Class: (upper, lower, etc)

Residence: (include location of physical abode and description of interior)

School attended: (Cor, Anima, or Virtus Academy)

Years attended: (1-6 or 1-4)

Intelligence level:

Favorite subjects:

Desired career:

Preferred love interest: (can be another OC)

Companions/pets: (probably an aquatic/water's-edge-dwelling creature; can be made up or otherwise fictional)

Desired classes:

**Magic/Abilities:**

Power type/element/base: (i.e. water, electricity, light, dark, etc. Feel free to be creative)

Sample list of spells: (include name, description, power level, other effects)

Power source: (if any; i.e. an item/ something from nature)

Primary fighting style: (offensive/defensive/ranged/close combat/etc)

Offensive abilities: (i.e. damaging spells/abilities)

Defensive abilities: (i.e. defensive spells/abilities)

Latent abilities: (i.e. abilities that are present and are not specifically combat-oriented)

**Combat/Abilities:**

Skills/techniques:

Skill level in battle:

Strengths in battle:

Weaknesses in battle:

* * *

Please submit this form **in a private message, ****not**** a review**, so that this story is not taken down. Thank you, and good luck!


	2. Chapter 2

Her feet left the water slowly, and she inhaled the fresh scent of the forest. There were so many sounds and scents on land the undersea city lacked – the wind, the birds, the smell of grass and wood. Charlotte turned, glimpsing the magnificent view of the Cove – cliff-like islands rose from the water, upon which were built in stunning feats of architecture homes and structures for businesses and other centers, but the most stunning were the twin peaks of Virtus Academy and Anima Academy, the city's constant guardians. The sheer cliffs below were layered with structures and hollowed-out homes and shops that gradually disappeared beneath the water. Charlotte felt the stirrings of pride, but this was overtaken by something like dismay – the Cove, her magnificent home, looked vacant above the waters, though she knew activity buzzed inside each building. But where she was now – the shores – were forsaken. Her people knew to avoid these shores out of fear. Since the war had intensified, the Cove Nereids remained wrapped within their city like hostages.

She broke her gaze and her thoughts, looking back to the forest looming before her. This expedition included only the mature, and most advanced, Nereids from the Magic and Combat classes. The boys and girls around her were calm and collected, and unafraid as they, too, stared into the forest. Many of them – herself included – had done this before.

She unintentionally caught the piercing yellow eye of a particular boy, and just as quickly looked away, eliciting an un-amused sound from him. Unfortunately for her, they were not on good terms, and had not been for some time.

The leader of the expedition, a particular combat teacher whom the students called Quinn, cleared his throat. "Students, you are to meet at this spot in exactly three hours. I will sort you all into teams. Each team is to collect one sample, which I will assign you. Do _not _stray further than our territory lines, and if any of you see or otherwise sense an enemy, you are to return here _immediately_, without engaging, and report. Is this understood?"

The students nodded collectively, and two or three _yes_es were echoed.

"Good."

Not five minutes later, Charlotte could have snorted at her luck. She walked decisively in front of her teammates, back rigid. Her teammates were two boys with dark green hair, one sporting light blue eyes; the other, yellow.

"She could make it clearer," the yellow-eyed boy said scornfully. His name was Ristic, and the woman walking in front of him was none other than his ex-girlfriend. Needless to say, the breakup had been neither pretty nor civil.

The boy next to him, Soren, looked as if he wanted to roll his eyes at his brother's immaturity. "It's written all over you as well. Would it really do any harm to be courteous?"

Ristic ignored this. "Char," he barked, causing Charlotte to halt, "we're obviously going too far."

"We are obviously not," she responded coldly, picking up her pace again.

"Who said you were the leader?" Ristic countered, and Charlotte spun around.

"I did. Because I know this forest more than you do."

"Did you hear Quinn at all? The territory lines were _back there_." He threw his arm behind him in an irritated gesture.

"I'll turn around when we get our sample."

Soren put a sedative hand on his brother's shoulder. "He's right. If we don't turn back we won't make it back in time," he advised.

Char opened her mouth to respond in what would undoubtedly turn into a quarrel, but something stopped her. Something nearby. The trio felt it before they heard it: vibrations beneath their feet, rhythmic… footsteps.

They turned back into the direction from which they came, but did not make it a single step before, in mere strides, there was a giant before them. Ogre-like in its deformed jaw and beady eyes, the thing raised its fists, each the size of a tree stump, and roared.

* * *

"Next student, please."

Today was also the day of a particular exam in the intermediate level magic classes. More than a dozen female Cor students were gathered by the walls of the classroom when the next student approached with a flash of her white tail – she was quite pale skinned, as were many of her peers, but she possessed bright emerald-colored eyes and distinctive violet hair that floated around her downturned head when she stilled.

"Miss Heart," the teacher said, a strict look on her features, "demonstrate for us the defensive spell you have surely been practicing."

The student – Aurora – nodded and raised her hands slowly. _Please don't fail_.

"Love shield." Her palms, held out front of her, glowed a soft pink. A pink sheen stretched out in front of them, forming a translucent half-sphere. It cast a sweet-looking glow on the walls and ceiling and the faces of the other students.

"Hold," the teacher commanded.

Aurora tried to keep her hands steady, but after only a few seconds, the shield wavered and disintegrated. The teacher sighed more harshly than was necessary.

"Once more, then."

Wincing, Aurora tried again, placing her hands outward, but a snicker somewhere behind her from one of the students shattered both her concentration and self-esteem. Her hands balled into fists and she sank in the water under the gaze of her peers. The humiliation of it all caught in her throat.

"I see." The teacher made a few marks in her book. "You may sit."

Aurora sank into her seat, folding her arms on the table's cold surface and resting her forehead there. How could she demonstrate her powers in that setting? They were based on positive emotions, and being here, surrounded by the cold faces of her peers… it was impossible. Her self-confidence was at a new low.

The teacher raised her voice over the now murmuring classroom. "Maera Pherusa."

Immediately all was quiet. The students looked amongst themselves as if there were a plague among their ranks. Behind them, one student stirred, who was sitting instead of floating as most of the others were. In front of her, apparently dozing atop the table, was a strange, winged creature. Maera slid from her seat silently, waving her sea-green tail almost lazily until she stopped in the middle of the room.

"I hope you've been practicing." This time the teacher's tone was downright disdainful.

Maera's blue eyes flashed with anger, not only for herself, but for Aurora – everyone knew this teacher played favorites with her students and was so unnecessarily rude to them, and it angered her. Without waiting for the okay, she spat, "Aqua shard."

Blue shapes appeared in the space between her and the teacher, intensifying in color until they were solidified into hard-edged crystals. Maera waved her hand, stirring her red hair around her face, and the crystals shattered, shards flying toward her teacher. The reaction was swift and harsh, the teacher's raised arm summoning an opaque white cloud that caught the shards harmlessly.

With another wave of her arm, the cloud disappeared, and the teacher's angry face was revealed. "Offensive spells are forbidden on the premises of this school!"

Maera crossed her arms. "The best defense is not allowing your opponent to attack."

"Miss Perusa and Miss Heart to the headmaster's office. Immediately," the teacher snapped.

From the corner of her eye Maera saw Aurora's head shoot up. "She didn't do anyth-"

"At this _instant_!" The teacher shrilled, pointing to the door. The students parted for Maera, staring condemningly at her, while Aurora followed her out slowly.

* * *

Char threw spell after spell at the giant, while Soren and Ristic used their bladed javelins like spears, but the giant was persistent and far too large. It deflected every blow easily with its hands. Soren flew at it again, aiming his javelin, but failed to see the giant's arm coming at him in a sweep until it was too late to dodge. He was thrown against the trees and crashed to the ground with a _thunk_. With the same hand he violently snatched Char from the ground, his grip tightening around her waist and legs. Disoriented, she was vaguely aware of Ristic's shouting from the ground, and the giant moved to swat him away, too. Char grit her teeth and concentrated, and a moment later powerful veins of electricity shot into the giant's arm. It roared, twitching as if paralyzed, and Ristic hurled his javelin one more time. The giant was distracted, and the weapon embedded itself in its shoulder. Char was dropped to the ground, where she landed with a stumble, and the giant fled, crashing through the trees.

Immediately, Charlotte's eyes searched out Soren. She was by his side just as he groaned, and her shoulders slumped in relief; Soren had been her friend for a long time and she didn't want to see him injured or worse. She checked him for injuries, pressing in various places, until he finally pushed her hands away, insisting that he was fine. She shook her head anyway, going to heal a particular bruise on his back.

Ristic knelt on the other side of his brother, seething. "I told you we went too far! You never listen to me!"

"This isn't the time for this," Char growled, sending him a halting look, but he didn't care.

"He's hurt because of you. Because you didn't listen."

This stung her more than she expected. Her hands wavered.

Ristic's tone quieted, but sounded no less hurt. "You never did trust me."

She was silent, a hot anger sealing her lips shut. Something else made her teeth clench – something like guilt.

Soren stopped her. "It's okay, Char." He stood, helping her up. She leaned on him, suddenly exhausted; the three of them began the long trek back toward the shore.

Magistrate Grianne Quinn rubbed her temples, eyes turned unseeingly down to the papers on her desk. The Chamber had been disbanded for nearly an hour, yet she still had not left the room. As a Magistrate, one of the seven Chamber members who decided on – and sometimes argued about – the Cove's politics, she was in a constant state of vigilance, one that, in past months, had turned to anxiety. This war had been raging for decades, yet this sudden turn mere months ago had intensified the conflict, and the tension continued even now to spike between the forest clans. Her previously unwavering faith in diplomacy had slipped long ago – there would be fighting, and much of it.

The chamber door swung open, clattering against the wall. Grianne's head shot up. A young man hurried through the doorway, tail lashing and a worried look painted on his face.

"Yes?" she asked as he came to a stop in front of the large rounded table.  
"An urgent message from Glacier, Magistrate Quinn." He handed a stiff sealed envelope over.

"From Glacier?" she questioned. Glacier was a distant frozen planet where Nereids – an arctic variety of Nereids – were far greater in number.

"There has been a massive attack. Whole covens have been eradicated."

Grianne's hands tightened as she scanned down the letter. "I see. And what has this to do with us?"

"They say attacking forces may be coming here, Magistrate."

"And why would they do that?"

"One of our Nereids is a descendant of their royal line. They need her power," the young man was still breathing hard. "We have to find her."

Grianne narrowed her eyes at the name on the last line of the letter. "No. We already know who she is."

* * *

Featured in this chapter:

_Charlotte Aniuk_

_Aurora Heart_

_Maera Pherusa_

_Soren Del Ray_

_Ristic Del Ray_

Who is the mysterious princess? What happened to Maera? And what about Char and Ristic? And Soren? Especially Soren.

All that aside, now you know how the story is going to go – instead of a band of five main characters, it's more episodic, so that I can focus on individuals more. The overarching plot is the war, and character plots are interwoven sub-plots. This is my favorite kind of storytelling.

Submissions are still open too guys! Make a girl, or a guy, or a teacher, or anything! You can even relate and pair them with existing characters.

I'll also be making a directory for the characters on my profile, so there's that, if you want to submit.

Constructive criticism welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

Leaves and twigs crackled under the patrol's boots. The rustle was the only sound; no voice dared to rise to even a whisper so close to Nereid territory lines. Patrols – composed of young men and women from Virtus and Anima – made rounds above-water frequently due to the war, yet the constant pressure and discipline of these young students gave them the necessary self-control to keep their lips still, their eyes sharp, and their feet moving.

Abruptly, the leader, a somewhat short but particularly severe girl, pitched her hand up. The patrol halted. Just in view there was a figure splayed on the ground – one of them, the leader realized. A Nereid.

The figure was decidedly female – petite, with slender arms and smooth, tanned skin. Dark lashes skimmed her cheeks, and brunette curls splayed around her head as if windblown. A long tail stretched out under her, bright blue at the waist; the scales shifted into a dazzling yellow near her tail fin.

"One of ours?" A male spoke up, shifting his grip on his weapon almost defensively.

"No," the leader told them. "She must be from the south."

"Do we leave her, then?"

The leader was still for a few tense moments, watching the painfully slow rise and fall of the figure's chest. "No. You, pick her up. Even if she is not one of ours, she is one of us."

* * *

"… Sorry you got caught up in this."

Maera's voice was softer than it had been earlier. Aurora shot a curious look at her from the corner of her eye. The other girl was fiddling with her top, and biting her lip, altogether a much more nervous picture than she had been back in the classroom. Aurora, in contrast, was more collected, alone now. She had, in fact, met before with Principal Orion – the man whose office door the pair waited outside of – and did not much dread visiting with him.

"It's okay," Aurora replied, her lips lifting into a gentle hint of a smile. "I'd rather be out here than in there."

Maera ceased worrying her lip for a moment. She understood. It was something she had thought many times before, but had never acknowledged out loud, at least to anyone else – how to her, the classroom felt hostile, not as a place in Cor should feel. Thankfulness bubbled up in her stomach. She was, at the very least, pleased to be here with someone who she could relate to at least somewhat.

"She's an eel anyway," Mae mumbled.

"That's insulting to eels." Mae's gaze snapped up to Aurora, whose hand covered her mouth. Both looked understandably shocked that the typically sweet, shy Aurora would say such a thing – hilarious though it was. Aurora blushed pink, and finally Mae laughed lightly. It was, perhaps, something like a tentative friendship.

The moment, however, was over as abruptly as it began when the principal's door swung open. The pair stalled for a moment, a particular third presence now looming over them, before Mae finally kicked her tail fin and swam in first.

Sitting upon the desk was a gleaming black name plate. Spelled out in silver letters: **Principal Beckley Orion**. The man himself sat behind the desk, both hands twined together in front of his mouth, which, by the tense look of his jaw, was stoically set. Despite his rather young appearance, a telltale band of silver streaked through his dark hair just above his left ear. Mae and Aurora floated in front of his desk, heads bowed. The very water around the man demanded the respect of all those in the vicinity.

"Girls. Explain yourselves."

There was a long silence, perhaps out of confusion, before Mae finally spoke up. "She didn't tell you?"

Orion's knuckle audibly cracked, and Mae shut her mouth, terrified what she'd said would be misinterpreted as an affront. However, Orion only shook his head and sat back in his chair. "She told me. But I want to hear it from you."

Mae told him. Her face burned when she spoke about how she had used her spell, the Aqua Shard; in hindsight, it was nothing but a tantrum, and an immature – and certainly dangerous – attack on her teacher. Orion's hawk-like stare never left her, leaving her all the more ashamed.

After the final word left her mouth, Mae quickly added, "But she didn't do anything. It was just me."

Orion glanced at Aurora. "I see."

Without warning the door swung open. A young man leaned inside – his silvery hair and pale blue eyes were striking; however, with his pale skin and rather soft features, he bore a familial resemblance to Aurora.

"Excuse me," he said to Orion, though the meaning of his words was lost because of the urgency in his voice, "I need my sister right away."

Orion almost immediately raised his hand in a gesture of agreeable insistence. "Of course, Hale."

A confused tilt to her lips, Aurora turned and followed him out. Mae watched over her shoulder; it was not until the door shut with a click that she realized the meeting was not yet over.

Beckley cleared his throat candidly, shifting through the papers in front of him. Mae could just see a photograph of herself sitting on top, and realized in muted perturbation that it was her permanent record.

When he did speak the voice he used was casual. "Says here you were held back a year in Intermediate Magic. Want to explain to me why that is?"

She fidgeted. "It's…" There was a difficulty in explaining this sort of thing because she wanted to leave the details out. "It's because I missed a year of school two years ago."

As she spoke Beckley's eyes scanned over her records. She knew what he was reading – knew also what she expected him to do, how he would react – the same way most others did.

But he only said, "I see."

Mae looked down, crossing her arms automatically in front of her as if protecting herself.

Beckley sighed and set the papers down, leaning forward on his desk. "Maera, I want you to know that you should never feel as if you're in any danger in this school. Alright?"

Train of thought thrown askew, Maera nodded. Though short, that sentence meant a lot more to her than he knew. "Okay."

* * *

Ristic sunk further into the coral-pink armchair. A textbook across the front of which was scrawled **THE MAGICAL REALMS AND YOU** rested in his lap, and his eyes lethargically scanned the pages. He was the picture of disgruntlement, each elbow propped on a pink chair's arm, head leaning on one palm, and a petulant look upon his face. He had chosen this particular area of study – near the far, glassy wall in the hallway just outside the girls' common room – solely because he did not relish the idea of being bothered when he studied. If his lazy half-reading could indeed be called studying.

Out of nowhere a speeding Nereid barreled into Ristic from behind. **THE MAGICAL REALMS AND YOU** went flying as a slender arm wrapped around his neck in an expert chokehold. Nearby students flinched and some backed away at the sudden commotion as Ristic and his attacker rolled from the chair to the floor locked in a struggle, each straining to gain a purchase and advantage on the other. The small figure – who now had Ristic's neck in a looser hold as a result of the scuffle – dug her elbows painfully downward into his shoulders. It wasn't until Ristic bumped into a nearby shelf, toppling it, and a girl shrieked, that the attacker broke away from him, laughing in such a way that made it clear she could not take the brawl seriously anymore.

She tapped his cheek with her finger and released him. Now clearly seen, she was slender, though more lean and defined than many of her female peers, and her wavy golden blonde hair complimented her rather tanned complexion. Her high cheekbones lent her lent her a sophisticated appearance at odds with her current attitude, and her violet eyes, though gleaming with mischief, pierced Ristic through all the same.

He crossed his arms moodily, but he was smirking readily. "Thanks a lot. You messed up my homework."

"Grumpy," she teased, smoothing her hair down. "I heard you and Char were fighting again."

"From who?"

"Soren."

"So what."

"Stop fighting! I'm trying to be friends with both of you!" The girl ruffled his hair up, a thing she knew he hated.

He swatted at her. "Leave me alone, Melissa, you little rat."

"You deserve it!"

A third voice, one familiar to both, echoed through the hall, its source close but unseen. Melissa straightened in a knee-jerk response.

"Melissa?"

"Hey- gah!" Melissa squirmed in Ristic's grip when he suddenly wrapped one strong arm around her upper half, holding her beside him smugly. "Let go!"

Ristic ignored her. "Is that Boy Wonder I hear?" Melissa stilled in mortification, all blood draining from her face. Ristic snickered and let her go with an ill-behaved shove. "You better run."

As quick as she had come she was gone, just as the so-called boy wonder appeared, scanning the room. Not many Nereids had stayed put after the scuffle, but of the ones who had – mostly girls – many turned their eyes on the newcomer, enamored. He was tall and dark-haired, with deep, innocuous brown eyes, and his mouth, so often tilted upward in a laugh and a smile, was downturned in concern.

"Melissa?" He swam over to Ristic. The light blues in his tail seemed to mix with the deeper blues, dazzling the water when the light rebounded from his scales. "Have you seen-"

Ristic pointed over his shoulder in the direction Melissa had swum as if tossing an annoyance over his shoulder, before swimming over to collect his history book.

"Thanks," the boy wonder said, and swam after her.

* * *

Hale had slowed his pace gradually – Aurora noticed it acutely as she swam behind him. She knew her brother very well, and the expression on his face – thin-lipped, brows drawn, jaw sporadically clenching – tipped her off that something weighed on him heavily.

"What is this about? Hale?"

Hale came out of his fog and came to a floating stop in the water, turning. His voice, usually vibrant and impassioned, was strangely quiet, almost as if containing a sigh. "Do you remember last year, when those three boys in your class were bullying you?"

"Yes…"

"Remember what I said?"

She nodded. "Always be content with yourself. If you can be proud of what you've done you'll be content with the person you are – past, present, future." She put her hand on his shoulder; he was worrying his lips in nearly the same way she did when she was nervous or worried. "What does that have to do with this? What's wrong?"

Hale wrapped her in a protective hug. "As long as you remember that, absolutely nothing."

* * *

Grainne's metallic blue eyes bore into the Nereid below her. A stranger in her chamber, restrained on either arm by armed guards. The leader of the patrol, so severe before, crossed her right hand over her heart and bowed, a sign of respect for the Nereid magistrate. The twelve magistrates – only one of which was Grainne – were often seen as a council, as makers of decisions, which was indeed one of their civic roles. More than that, however, the chamber magistrates were the judges who governed the laws of the Cove and the Nereids themselves.

And so this stranger had been brought before Grainne. She awaited judgment, head bowed; though she had come to, she had not spoken. Grainne had told her to speak moments before; the room waited in silence.

"A storm. There was a terrible storm. My home was destroyed. The kingdom may be in ruins." The girl's head lifted. She was very petite; her long, brilliant tail drew attention to her regardless. Her large sapphire-blue eyes were sunken somewhat into her skull, lending her a fragile appearance; her brown hair, kissed by threads of sunny gold, floated around her dark shoulders in ringlets. "I hail from the Angel Fish Court," she said. "A court that now lay in ruins. A storm wasted my people… Hail fell to our shores like shards of glass. Thunder spun the waters as if by magic, and lightning rent the sky with its radiance. The winds battered us with enough strength to send me – us – flying in all directions. Our homes and people were scattered. Even the structures beneath the waves were destroyed…" She bowed her head. Though her voice had been quiet and firm, it had begun to waver with the eerie intensity of her memory.

Grainne was silent, eyes closed, hands folded calmly in front of her. She took a deep breath; the room seemed to tense collectively.

"The Angel Fish Court. I understand. What is your name, young lady?"

"My name is Claire, your majesty."

"Majesty?" Grainne shuffled the papers in front of her almost self-consciously. "We are not a kingdom, my dear."

"I see…" Claire responded promptly, though an involuntary tug at her lips hinted that this was strange to her.

"I suppose for now you are the Court's own ambassador to our Cove," Grainne said. In effect the guards at Claire's sides unhanded her and swam back, giving her space. "As your arrival is unexpected, however, we have not prepared living quarters for you. Therefore you will be quartered temporarily in our dormitories. Furthermore, a diplomat will aid you in your visit here. I'm sure you understand." Grainne crooked her finger toward her side, where a new Nereid came forward. Her bright orange hair waved around her dainty, pixie-like face; freckles were scattered across her short nose and across her shoulders, and her large eyes were blue – the same blue as Grainne, though instead of having a steely glint they shone sincerely.

"My daughter, Alastonia."

Alastonia greeted Claire with a wide smile, clasping her hand warmly, and Claire was rather taken aback at the unassumingly friendly gesture.

"Not just a guide, but a friend!" Alastonia chimed. Her face was sweet, a halting contrast to the cool, clinical faces of those around her. "Is that okay with you, Claire?"

Claire was struck dumb for a moment, until the hands clasped around hers squeezed in something like a comforting gesture. "It is."

Alastonia's smile broadened and she began to pull her new friend toward the huge doors even before her mother had ended the session; Claire hesitated briefly.

Grainne sighed at her daughter's conduct. "Very well. You are all dismissed."

* * *

The chamber was left almost empty. Two Nereids floated in front of the large, arc-shaped magistrates' desk – a young woman, whose striking golden eyes were partially obscured by her raven-black hair and who was held aloft by a violet tail, and a young man, whose eyes were hooded by his bowed head, and whose tiger-like leanness of body lead down into a twisting silver tail.

With a heavy hand Grainne waved them off, and the boy immediately turned with a wave of his tail.

"Mari." Grainne's weary voice stopped the girl, whose posture straightened dutifully when she turned back to face the magistrate.

"We must contact each one of the Nereid kingdoms. Things are happening at a much too alarming pace." Mari lifted her head, hopeful of the political role she wanted to play. "Mari, I want you to gather the council. We have things we must discuss."

Mari nodded, but hesitated. "Yes, Magistrate Quinn, and I also have a suggestion-"

"Please, not right now. Time is valuable."

Mari's shoulders locked. Her eyes, alert before, were hooded once again beneath her dark hair, and she nodded curtly. She sped off, a moody lash in her fin movement.

Unseen by either Mari or Grainne, the boy's shadowy figure leaned on the wall just in the shadows. His gaze took in the subtleties of their conversation – Mari's fists clenched in anger, her rigid posture, the snarl that threatened to tug at her pretty lips; Grainne's sigh, the stress in her shoulders, the hard set of her mouth. The meaning of these things did not escape him; things were soon to uncurl, to show their disgusting, horrific underbellies.

A smirk pulled at his lip. "Interesting."

* * *

Featured in this chapter:

_Claire Knightly_

_Maera Pherusa_

_Aurora Heart_

_Ristic Del Ray_

_Melissa Olympus_

_Michael Phillips_

_Hale Heart_

_Alastonia Quinn_

_Mari King_

_James_

Ah yes, the striking Hale and the handsome Michael (aka Boy Wonder). Not to mention the lovely Mari, unfortunate Claire, sweetheart Alastonia, and lively Melissa (torturing Ristic that way – good, he needs someone to give him slack).

There are still more characters to introduce in the next chapter. I'm a bit worried the number of characters will overwhelm readers. I'll try my best to keep the character list on my profile updated so it can be used for reference.

Other stuff to mention here… A particular review said that this story is different compared to others for Winx, which I wanted to talk about, because it's very true. I tend to write much grittier stuff, darker stuff, the works, you know, and while this won't be particularly dark, it might be grittier than is expected from a Winx fiction. Still, it's a lot of fun, and it will still mostly focus on friendships and relationships, as Winx would, just… in different ways.

I'm looking right now for this story to last between ten and fifteen chapters. If it will be continued further than that, it will be with a new set of characters, most likely.

SYOC is closed right now. After the next chapter – where the remaining characters will be introduced – I'll open it back up for side characters only (sorry about that). At some point I want to start another SYOC story too, for a different fandom. Still tossing around ideas for that, though, since I want to focus on this for now.

Constructive criticism welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

It was the student common room where the boys and girls of Cor tended to gather at any given time - after school, before breakfast, lunch breaks, and all other hours of the day and night students used the room as a lounge for gossip and study alike. It was a large room with a windowed wall where one could see out into the vastness of the ocean, with the Cove's teeming population of men and women and the underwater city they inhabited. Booth tables lined one wall; couches and pillow-like furniture lined the other. There were scales, tails, and fins of all colors here, each as individual as the students to which they belonged.

Two students sat at a booth near the back of the room. Two young nereids, the young woman sporting a tail the color of the sky's deep violet just after sunset, black hair, and petite pink lips; the young man across from her was taller and had light hair, blue fins, and deep blue eyes. To anyone who glanced their way they were unassuming, but to those who looked more closely much could be observed about their relationship. The girl, Lavanya - or Lavy, as she often called herself - sat leaning toward him, her elbows on the table, and her eyes toward the bustle of the room. The boy, Frank - or Frankie, as she often called him - rested his forearms on the table but leaned slightly forward, head cocked, listening in earnest.

"Let's review," Lavy said, turning back to him. "I don't want you to forget anyone's name. Right?"

"Exactly," was the response. Frankie was not at all slow, but he was not perfect. Having recently come to Cor to study, he was having difficulty remembering the students' names. It was, understandably, quite a lot of names to remember all at once.

Lavy pointed to two girls, each sporting the lean shape that came with honed athletic skill - "That's Charlotte," whose striking, electric-blue eyes caught his attention even across the room, "and that's Melissa," whose sharp violet gaze flickered from Charlotte to other students and back. They complimented each other visually as if both were painted by the pallet of the same artist. Their fins were smooth, Charlotte's a seamless sea-green, and Melissa's a fluid gold. Charlotte leafed through a well-worn book as Melissa talked to her and eyed a few passing students, particularly male ones; when Charlotte made to hand the book back to Melissa, Melissa did not appear to notice, to which Charlotte's response was to place the book on the table instead and flick her eyes heavenward. "Nobody knows when they became friends. It's like the sun rising and setting - it's just always been that way, and it's never going to change. They hang out with those two," she went on with another gesture toward a small group, particularly two boys. That's Ristic." This boy sported dark green hair, broad shoulders, and electric yellow eyes. He sat at a table facing another, much burlier male student with whom he locked hands in an arm wrestling contest. "And that's Soren, his brother." Soren floated nearby, chatting up a girl. He shared his brother's forest-green hair, though his was longer and more ruffled, he was leaner, and his eyes were pale blue. "At least, they all hung out 'til about a week ago, because Charlotte and Ristic broke up. Drama, right? Anyway, some people think they'll get back together, but I don't know - when they start bickering I have to leave the room. Shots get fired, you know? That's love for you, I guess." Lavy flicked a lock of dark hair away from her face dismissively.

"Moving on - see that guy over there?" She gestured to a tall, well-built boy with light- and dark-blue scales, brown hair, and a deep puppy-dog gaze. He seemed attached to a surrounding group of students who were popular and well-known for their athletic talent - jocks, who talked and laughed amongst themselves.

"Yeah, the guy with the blue?" Frankie asked and nodded toward him.

"His name is Michael. I had such a crush on him - actually every girl's had a crush on him, just look at him. But everyone knows he has a huge crush on Melissa... well, not everyone knows, but I know. But it's so obvious, isn't it? Just look at him." Frankie witnessed Melissa swim by and Michael glance at her as she passed - she waved, and he called out a greeting, but he stared after her far longer than any other passers-by. "He's love-struck. They're from the same kingdom, you know. Oh, I want them to get together so much. It would be perfect." Lavy sighed and looked between Michael and Melissa. She didn't notice Frankie's eyes flick back to her and gaze at her much the same way.

"Oh, look there. See those two?" They were couple of relatively petite girls meeting over schoolbooks, one with hair that fell in deep, elegant red curls and blue-green scales and the other with violet hair and white scales. "That's Maera with the green tail and Aurora with the white. Maera is a touchy sort of person so nobody knows much about her. She seems so shut away from the world sometimes. I tried to talk to her the other day - totally ignored me. She must've been in a hurry..." Lavy's voice dipped into dolefulness for a moment. "But, anyway... the girl with her, Aurora, she's a sweet girl. Painfully shy, though." Aurora's head was down as though in thought, shoulders tense. She had not appeared to utter a word until Maera's lips moved, and then Aurora looked up with a smile on her pretty face. "And that guy over there is Aurora's brother, Hale." Lavy pointed to the boy who approached the pair; he shared Aurora's white scales and pale skin. Hale passed the table without action until another male student also passed the table with a distinctly lingering glance at the smiling Aurora; Hale turned an ice-laden glare at him and he hurried off. Maera lowered her head as he passed by in an almost mechanical habituation.

Lavy finally leaned back in her chair, sighing contentedly. "That's everyone I know for now. Can you remember all that?"

Frankie flashed a smile and let himself fall back too. "I think so." She smiled back and giggled. For a moment he hesitated, and then continued, "Lavy, I wanted to ask you..."

"Wait, look!" She pointed to a pair of students entering the room at a slow swim. The leading girl had pixie-like features and distinct orange hair and looked to be chatting amiably to the second, quieter girl - delicate, but with a long, distinguishing tail with bright blue scales toward the top that edged into brilliant yellow. "Alastonia and a new girl! Let's go see." And she was up and off. Frankie sighed, disheartened, and swam after.

The new girl jumped when Lavanya popped up beside her. "Oh, so sorry. Didn't mean to startle you." A disarming smile and hand outstretched in friendship. "My name is Lavanya. What's yours?"

She was quiet, her dark-lashed blue eyes searching Lavy's hand. Alastonia patted her shoulder. "Don't bother her too much, she's tired." Lavanya frowned; the new girl shook herself.

"It is fine." She returned the handshake. "My name is Claire."

"Just 'Claire'?"

A nod.

"Oh, your home is a secret place, I see. We have a few more of those here, don't we?"

"Who's your boy?" Alastonia spoke up, nodding at Frankie. "He's new- you're new, sir, too, aren't you?"

Frankie responded, though it looked as though Lavy would if given another moment. "Frankie. Frank Anderson. I just transferred here but Lavy and I have been friends since we were young." He made as if to shake her hand.

Alastonia grasped Frankie's outstretched hand and, instead of shaking it, pulled it along and grasped Claire's arm with her other. "Let's all have lunch! We can talk about the mysterious Claire and Frank!"

"Give them a break first!" Lavy called as she followed. "You're gonna talk their ears off!"

* * *

"Mari? Did you hear me?"

"Mm? Of course," was Mari's flimsy retort.

"Then, what do you think...?"

"I'll tell you what I think - how could they brush me off like that? I've done nothing but good for them since I became a council aid, and they just... just..."

Her companion sighed. She hadn't been listening after all. "I was thinking we were talking about Law class homework..."

"Were you saying something, Ziarre?" Mari asked absently.

"Nothing important, Angel," Ziarre said. 'Angel' was the rather contrary nickname given to Mari by her clique at Anima - more prevalent than her sweet attitude, much of the time, was her self-important side. Ziarre, conversely, was far too polite to say anything.

They swam into the council's great archive - much like a public library in function - seeking out a particular set of texts Mari had been sent to retrieve. Ziarre had decided to tag along after Mari because Mari had willed it, and Ziarre had wished to avoid a debate.

"Great," Mari muttered. "It's her."

"Her? Who?"

"Don't ask stupid questions."

Ziarre shut her mouth with a frown. There was indeed a small party at the far end of the central room, two girls and a boy, who appeared young enough to be attending Cor. One girl, tall and rather twiggy, examined a set of high-resting books while her companions, a girl with deep red hair and olive skin and a boy whose pale skin nearly matched his snow-white hair, sat at a table below.

Mari, at Ziarre's silence, rolled her eyes and swam off into an adjacent room to search for her files. Ziarre remained in the central chamber, choosing instead to browse the more popularly handled nereid literature. Pieces of the far trio's conversation could be heard more clearly in Mari's absence.

"I heard someone saw a fairy near here." This was red-haired girl.

"I have a hard time believing that. Faires haven't been allowed here for centuries," responded tall one.

"Of course, everybody knows that. But with things as they are..."

"As they are?"

"On the brink of war."

"Did you hear that too?"

A pout edged into her voice. "Don't patronize me, Cal. Veidan," this was directed at the boy beside her, "do you believe it?"

"That a fairy was seen nearby? No." The girl crossed her arms, doing her best to look put out. "But it is true that we may not be able to uphold such borders if war breaks out," he added.

"That's a given," 'Cal' said patiently.

"You're not even a little bit worried?" the red-haired girl questioned.

"I have faith in the counci-" Ziarre bumped her arm. "Oh, excuse me."

Ziarre hadn't realized how far she had drifted around the room. Her scanning of the texts had been more absent than she had realized. "My fault, sorry."

"Not at all!"

"Um, excuse me-" The girl looked up. Ziarre paused awkwardly. "That book... are you using it?"

The girl looked down at the archive's copy of "Dragons of the Sea". "This?" Ziarre nodded; the girl handed it over fondly.

"Thanks, I'm Ziarre."

"Calaleigh, but call me Cal. This is Marcella," she gestured at the red-headed girl, who upon closer inspection fidgeted with a small, light blue seahorse that wove between her fingers and peeked out from between occasionally, "and Veidan."

Veidan nodded in a way that could be considered mildly sociable. Marcella nodded with a 'pleased to meet you'. Ziarre hurriedly turned her attention back to the book. The trio, sensing her departure from the conversation, began anew.

Cal nudged Veidan's arm as she settled down with a few books. "Did I hear that you got into another fight?"

He said nothing.

"Don't give me that. You did."

Marcella slapped his arm; he was impassive. "I had to."

"Did you?

"He called me out. I set him straight."

"Vei, you're going to get kicked out of school if you aren't careful."

"I bruised his ego, not his face."

"This time," said Marcella.

"This time," Cal echoed, and sighed. "If we don't keep you away from the other boys you get into fights. But why don't you have a problem with girls?"

"Girls look softer," he responded seriously.

"You remember you said that when a girl shows you the sharpest parts of her scales, tough boy."

At that moment Mari and caught Ziarre in her sights. "Zi!" she called sharply. Ziarre looked over at the impolite nickname. She guessed that meant it was time to go.

"Nice meeting you," was all she offered before swimming away, leaving the open book on the table. Cal picked it up and made to call after her, but when she realized who had called her, let the book back down.

"What was that?" Marcella asked, tilting her head at the departing pair.

"Mari King," Veidan told her.

"Oh."

* * *

James found himself swimming into a dilapidated citadel twenty minutes outside of the Cove's central domain. The slow, vague stirring of the water, as if another, much larger creature lurked about, unnerved him. His nereid eyes picked up all available light, but he could scarcely see anything but the knifelike angles of the rock and occasional bottom-dwelling fish that paid no heed to him, for they lacked eyes. His fists tightened - he did not appreciate feeling as if he were the mark... the _prey_, in a situation such as this.

"Nymeria Aztul," he called. "Show yourself by order of the council."

She appeared not as a sudden presence, but as an extension of the water, and James distinctly had the thought that she had been there the whole time. Only when she raised her hand could he pinpoint her location; by magic the color of the water lost its shadow and grew chalky as she absorbed the darkness into a palpably murky sphere that sat on her palm.

A long black tail, eerily still in the water though the blue streaked through appeared to pulse like exposed flesh; skin blotched with stainlike bruises and scars and dark veins beneath as if her skin were a crackled mirror. A braided black tendril of hair brought his eye to her face - shrouded in shadow. A repulsive creature besides, James judged.

But her voice was a sweet peal, the soft, delicate melody of a siren. "What need has the council of me?"

"No need, dear monster. But it has come to my attention that you may have use of them."

"Get to the point," she lashed, "I have no patience for you."

James's charming facade fell; his indifference showed through. "Fine. These credentials document your parentage and your... lineage, shall we say. And this," he held up an unsealed envelope, "is a classified document recovered days ago from that very parentage."

"And?"

"The council," this was a sneer, "attempted to destroy these documents in order to cover it up. Do you not think that is warranted only by something of great importance?"

"And you go to the trouble of collecting them and bringing them to me. Why?"

"Because when the war comes, I would very much like to have you on my side."

Nymeria's fingers tightened around the opaque orb of shadow in her palm. "And why are you so sure war will come?"

"Don't worry, pet." James bowed his head, a wicked smirk twisting his mouth. "I am making sure of it."

* * *

Featured in this chapter:

_Alastonia Quinn_

_Aurora Heart_

_Calaleigh Hazlebrandt_

_Charlotte Aniuk_

_Claire Knightly_

_Frank Anderson_

_Hale Heart_

_James_

_Lavanya Rivertune_

_Maera Pherusa_

_Marcella Grace_

_Mari King_

_Melissa Olympus_

_Michael Phillips_

_Nymeria Aztul_

_Ristic Del Ray_

_Soren Del Ray_

_Veidan Nerissaid_

_Ziarre Amaris_

All main characters have been introduced (except one, but don't worry about him yet)! Now we can get on to the thick of the plot.

**To everyone who submitted a character:** Please update your character info, especially the "relationships" section:

[Relationships

Parents: (can be other OCs if applicable)

Siblings: (can be other OCs)

Other relatives: (can be other OCs)

Past loves: (can be other OCs)

Friends: (can be other OCs)

Enemies: (can be other OCs)

Social group: (i.e. clique)

Crushes?: (can be another OC)

Relationship/marital status: (single/dating/betrothed/married/etc)]

... since now most of the main cast has been introduced. This will be important for me since I'm plotting the rest of the story. Overlapping stuff will be worked out, don't worry.

Also, please make sure that for any related or side characters (cousins, siblings, fiancés, etc) you send necessary and relevant info (you don't have to mess with, like, a whole form, but basics would be great)!

And a bit more, if you're interested in sending a picture of a character via a maker (dolldivine is a good resource) or something like that, that's welcome.

**To everyone else:** Woo, thanks for reading! Submissions on main characters are closed probably for good, but other submission stuff might be open later for other reasons, and inquiries are welcome too.

Next chapter, the plot finally gets itself going. Excited!


End file.
